Chennai:The Tamil Nadu Government has allocated Rs 2,486.49 crore for the Administration of Justice under Demand No.3 in the revised budget estimate for 2026-27, with Rs 449.28 crore classified as charged expenditure and Rs 2,037.21 crore as voted appropriation.

The Administration of Justice Policy Note 2026-27, tabled by C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar, Minister for Energy Resources and Law, says the State’s principal objective is to ensure impartial, easy and speedy access to justice while strengthening the judiciary through adequate buildings, manpower and other infrastructure.

Tamil Nadu currently has 1,378 subordinate courts, including 328 special courts. Of these, 150 courts are functioning in Chennai district and 1,228 in other districts. Against a sanctioned strength of 1,403 judicial officers in the subordinate judiciary, only 1,196 are currently working, leaving 207 posts vacant. The vacancy includes 100 district judges, 28 senior civil judges and 79 civil judges.

The Madras High Court has an approved strength of 75 judges but is functioning with 66 judges, including at its Madurai Bench. The policy note also presents its case-load position. At the Principal Seat in Chennai, civil case pendency declined from 1,51,203 in 2021 to 1,10,139 in 2025, even as disposal rose from 59,192 to 79,654 during the period. At the Madurai Bench, civil pendency fell from 82,380 in 2021 to 60,219 in 2025, with disposal increasing to 52,481 cases in 2025.

Twenty exclusive Pocso special courts are functioning across the State, while six additional courts, one each at Tenkasi, Erode, Tiruppur, Tiruchirappalli and Kallakurichi and an additional court in Chennai, have been sanctioned but are yet to commence functioning.

Tamil Nadu also has 10 mahila courts and 22 fast track mahila courts in the cadre of District Judge for exclusive trial of crimes against women, besides 32 Additional Mahila Courts in the cadre of Judicial Magistrate.

The State has five exclusive special courts for cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act at Chennai, Madurai and Villupuram. Another special court sanctioned at Tirunelveli for cases covering Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari is yet to commence functioning.

There are also 42 family courts functioning in Tamil Nadu. One additional family court sanctioned at Madurai is yet to commence functioning.

The State has also implemented e-stamping for payment of court fees in the Madras High Court, Madurai Bench and all principal district and subordinate courts.

The Tamil Nadu Judicial Academy, with its headquarters in Chennai and regional centres at Madurai and Coimbatore, has been allocated Rs 11.66 crore for 2026-27 for salaries, allowances and other expenditure. The academy trains judicial officers and judiciary staff and provides induction training to new recruits.

The State has also provided Rs 41.78 crore for legal services authorities. The system comprises 38 district legal services authorities, 202 taluk legal services committees and two high court legal services committees. Its mandate includes providing free legal services to weaker sections, organising Lok Adalats and ensuring that economic or other disabilities do not prevent access to justice.

The policy note further reiterates Tamil Nadu’s long-standing demand for permitting Tamil as an official language, in addition to English, in the proceedings of the Madras High Court. The State has repeatedly taken up the matter with the Union Government, but a response from the Chief Justice of India is awaited.

Tamil Nadu has also reiterated its demand for a permanent regional Bench of the Supreme Court in Chennai, along with regional branches in Mumbai and Kolkata and a Constitutional Bench in New Delhi. The policy note says the Supreme Court had rejected the demand for a Bench outside Delhi, but the issue is now before a Constitution Bench.

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